Gallery: A Storebought Super Bowl: The Winners of Our Taste Tests

Best Queso Dip: Ro*tel and Block Velveeta

With the biggest tomato and pepper chunks, and a smoother, saucier consistency, this queso dip won our taste test. With a "fuller chili flavor" and "nice chunks" this dip is well worth the extra effort of microwaving and stirring together.
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Best Tahini-less Hummus: Trader Joe's Tahini-Free

Although the variety of hummus at Trader Joe's is seemingly endless, the tahini-free original is especially nice.A little lemony, a little garlicky—but neither are too overpowering. And without the tahini, you really get a distinct chickpea flavor. The texture is baby food-esque, but in a good way.
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Best Cheese Dip: Utz Mild Cheddar Cheese Dip

Although without the added spices and vegetables of queso dips, this is the cheesiest dip of all the ones we tasted. It had an awesomely gooey texture that was described as "cling[ing] together like alien goo." To some, it tasted reminded them of a better version of a melted American Kraft slice (that's a good thing for cheese dip).
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Frank's RedHot won our taste test for the best buffalo-style hot sauce, but when we tested it again against Tabasco's, the two were evenly matched. Frank's had a cleaner, brighter flavor, which tasted "fresher" and "like real chilis," whereas others testers liked Tabasco for its richer and fruitier flavor. Tied in our own kitchen, these two sauces are deserving of their own showdown during the Superbowl.
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Best Buffalo Wing Sauce: Anchor Bar

If you want a straight-out-of-bottle buffalo sauce, you might want to consider Anchor Bar Sauce. This one won because it lacked the artificial butter flavor that its competitors in this category suffered from. Though a little sweet, it was rounded out with heat. "Almost fizzy, it was so vinegary," said one taster.
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Best Fast Food Buffalo Wings: KFC

They have good skin-to-meat proportions, tangy sauce (also available sauceless if you want to add your own) and induce a good bellyache of success after. They're also bigger-than-average-sized wings. Good for feeding a big crowd.
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Best Hot Dog: Hebrew National

As the story goes, it all started in 1928 with a Romanian immigrant butcher named Isador Pinckowitz hawking meat from a horse-drawn wagon. Well, thanks Isadore! Years later we're still chowing on the kosher franks, now in its familiar red and yellow package, served up at corner delis, Costco food courts, and so, so many Superbowl tables.

Good color, right girth, salty, meaty, and perfect. They have the right spice balance and the best damn fatty flavor of all the hot dog flavors we tried. Need we say more?

Best Classic Kettle Chips: Madhouse Munchies

With its classic, pleasing taste and texture, this chip won the title of "Most Classic Kettle Chip" in our taste test. Tasters praised this chip's "good balance" and "clean potato finish," and one taster called it "the conventional pick." Dirty brand chip was in a close second.
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Best Salt & Vinegar Chips: Kettle Brand

This had all the merits of a pleasing salt and vinegar chip, especially if you're serious about your vinegar. "Vinegar hits you after and hits hard!" said one taster. It's tangy, acidic, and stays interesting with each handful. The chips are crunchy, not greasy, and have a real strong potato-y flavor. This is the quintessential salt and vinegar chip right here.
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Honorable Mention: Zapps Chips

But don’t limit yourself to just one brand of chips; potato chips are a staple at the Superbowl table, and with the Superbowl in New Orleans this year, it’s well worth the effort to serve Zapps alongside your wings and dips). We love Zapps chips for their thickness, golden blonde color, and the variety of flavor available.
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Best Store-Bought Hummus: Sonny and Joe's

It looks like Sabra's, smells like Sabra's, and kinda tastes like Sabra's too (it's got the same mayo-like smoothness, tahini richness, and olive oil drizzle). But the difference is Sonny & Joe's still makes theirs in small batches in a Brooklyn factory, so the flavor is brighter and fresher-tasting. They're easiest to find in New York (Zabars, Fairway, and select other markets), although distribution is starting to spread.
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